Electricity trade unions call off strike action

Electricity trade unions in Sri Lanka have decided to end their strike after discussions with relevant authorities. The unions reached this decision after union representatives signed an agreement following talks with the Commissioner General of Labour and leaders from the newly formed electricity companies. In today’s meeting, the Commissioner assured the unions that they would have a chance to speak with the President tomorrow, on the 12th. The strike, which began on Monday, the 9th, involved about 25 trade unions. They were demanding a better response from the government regarding their requests as electricity workers. During the strike, the unions stopped all repair and maintenance work, but they continued to operate power plants and other essential services. Since yesterday, the 10th, several areas across the country have experienced power outages due to the union action. Over 12,000 electricity breakdowns have been reported island-wide as a result of the strike. Now that the unions have called off the action, electricity workers are expected to return to their duties and work on restoring power to the affected regions.